Calculating stitches for neckbands or front bands for cardigans is mysterious for many knitters.

We are often instructed to “pick up 2 stitches for every 3 rows” or “pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows”. You may be surprised that these methods are often quite inaccurate.

The general convention is to try one of these “rules” and rip out the band and try again until we are satisfied.

Here’s a better way. In this tutorial we will explore 4 methods of calculating the number of stitches to pick up and determine the BEST way.